Festival of Quilts

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There are many forms of quilting; the categories are determined by technique, design and method of production. In this article, we look at four of the broad types of quilting based on the design technique that is utilised in the making of quilts. If you wish to learn more about quilting before you get into the finer details, then we suggest that you take a look at our article which explains what quilting is. This article is going to be a brief on the four basic types of quilting.

1. English Paper Piercing

When it comes to quilting, there are few design techniques that standout. This particular form of quilt designing is found in vintage quilts that are usually present in stores that specialise in handmade vintage goods and items. The technique is quiet easy for beginners to master. All you need to do is go to your supply store and buy paper templates for your quilt design. Once you have the paper design templates, and then start to fold the fabric around the paper template following which you should baste it. And in no time your quilt will be ready to use. The most common type of template that people use is hexagon as it not only gives you a cool design but is also quite easy compared to other templates.

2. Paper Pierced Quilts

The form of quilting that developed from English Paper piercing. The style involves the use of numbered templates that help create intricate designs. The paper templates account for meticulous design patters and can be printed out from online platforms. It still requires stitching and sewing proficiency.

3. Applique Quilts

If you are a quilt maker who has been around the block for a considerable period of time, you are sure to have gotten bored with symmetrical patterns. Fret not; applique quilt designs are here to save you; they are unsymmetrical shapes that add a wild twist to your quilt design. The design also gives you the freedom to shape and reshape your design as and when you see fit. There are two techniques that require further research when it comes to applique quilt design, they are raw edge technique and interfaced technique.

4. Pieced Quilts

American quilt makers have always followed a traditional technique when it comes to quilt making. Pieced quits are basically one where a particular block of the quilt is done, and then blocks are done across the dimension and sewed together.

Quilting is an art form that requires long hours of practice before you can master it. To put it simply, quilting is the process of making quilts using sewing and other techniques. A quilt is often composed of three components; they are quilt top, wadding and backing. The quilt top is the intricate design pattern that is seen on the quilt while the wadding is the layer that provides girth to the quilt and finally the backing is the cotton fabric or similar material that is used to support the wadding. Most tutorials and professional quilt makers will tell you to use the sandwich rule when it comes to quilting. The sandwich rule can be applied here because of the three layers that are used in the making of a quilt. A sandwich contains two pieces of bread and form of the patty in between; the same applies for quilts. Quilts have intricate design patterns on either side, and the wadding is the patty that gives consistency to the sandwich. And finally, the backing can be looked at as condiments that helps to keep the wadding (patty) in place.

To start off quilting will require one to have proficient skill when it comes to sewing. For those of you who are starting out, a basic running stitch can be used. A basic running stitch is very easy to learn but also one that has high functionality; it is a skill that requires minimum mastery but with high operational capacity. Quilting is more complicated than just being able to stitch the three components together. It requires meticulous attention to detail coupled with high creativity. There are a number of advanced level materials that can be utilised to make the quilt look better such as embroidery and applique. In short, anyone who is proficient in sewing and understands the basics of stitching can effectively make a quilt but to make a quilt that stands out in terms of appearance and quality, a number of techniques and skills need to be used together.

There are two basic forms of quilting, hand quilting and machine quilting. The traditional form of quilting is still very popular and requires a lot more skill and proficiency when compared to machine quilting. The big difference is in the time that it takes for finishing the quilt; machine quilting is much faster than hand quilting. The level of skill of the quilt maker is also high in hand quilting as it requires quilters to use a number of techniques when compared to machine quilting. Overall each form has its advantages and disadvantages. We suggest that you learn the basics of hand quilting even if you want to start out with machine quilting.